


Foreign Folk are Weird

by Dark_Strange_Son_3145



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Injury, Dancing, Fluff and Humor, High School, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Pau&Patareparents, TheEndneverhappened, idk - Freeform, o3o, yey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:48:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29702901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Strange_Son_3145/pseuds/Dark_Strange_Son_3145
Summary: Tom notices the new kid, Tord Lardson, and decides to talk to him, becoming his friend and developing a crush on the Norski. What happens when he finds out why he had to transfer schools? What will he do when he sees how terrible his father treats him? And will Tord EVER use correct English grammar?? Read to find out!
Relationships: Edd/Matt (Eddsworld), Eduardo/Jon (Eddsworld), Patryck/Paul (Eddsworld), Tom/Tord (Eddsworld)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. New Kid

Today was the first day of school after Fall break, and Tom was terrified. Of course, he enjoyed going to school since he had his friends to talk to and hang out with, but there was also Eduardo, Jon, and Mark. Eduardo, Jon, and Mark had been bullying Edd, Tom, and Matt ever since Eduardo grew his mustache because that was a sign of superiority. They would throw their books while they were just walking down the halls, push them against lockers for NO REASON, and occasionally steal any cash they had on them. Sometimes they would even beat them up after school, leaving bruises and scratches all over them. Luckily, they never rode on the same bus as them, so that helped them out. 

“Thomas! Hurry up and get outside your bus should be coming soon!” Tom’s mother shouted from downstairs. He replied with a quick “Coming!” Before grabbing his bag and running to the bus stop. He was met by his best friends and a couple of other kids that went to their school.

“Hey, Tom/Tim!” Both Edd and Matt greeted, Matt always saying his name incorrectly. “How’d you sleep?” Edd asked in a sweet tone. The brunette always had his hair over his eyes and wore a lime green jacket. He was also a little chubbier than the two, but all three of them were a little different as well. Matt was taller than them, making him hate his appearance even though his glasses and acne were the only things stopping girls from crawling all over him. He also wore a lavender flannel over a white tank top. Now Tom was probably the worst among them all. He had acne, braces, he was short, skinny, and to top it off he had pitch-black eyes that he inherited from his mother, allowing all the other kids to call him a demon or monster. He’s gotten used to this, though it still hurts every time he hears the word. He wore a black tee-shirt with a skull on it as well, with multiple Ska and checkered bracelets.

“Ugh, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Eduardo and Mark are gonna greet us when we get to school.” Tom sighed. 

“I’m sure we’ll be fine! My mum gave me some money today, so we might be able to bribe him out of beating us up!” Matt grinned, happy with the fact that he created a smart plan.

“Um… Matt? Are you sure your mum didn’t just give you your lunch money?” Edd questioned. “Oh… m-maybe…” Matt looked away embarrassingly. “It’s alright, maybe he has a doctor’s appointment today?” Edd suggested.

“Or maybe he finally got kicked out,” Tom grumbled. “He’s been bullying us since middle school. I’m starting to think the teachers don’t even care that they’re doing it!”

Their bus finally came and the trio, along with the other unrelated kids, climbed onto the large vehicle. The three commonly sat in the very back, they even had a sign above their seat that said: “Losers only”. It was two seats that were across from each other. They looked exactly like they did last year, well except for the kid that sat in them. He had caramel hair that was shaped into two devil-like horns. He had a red shirt on with a black trench coat, keeping his backpack on his lap. Though Tom couldn’t make out his face since he was looking out the window. He didn’t seem to notice the three brits as they all sat down in their rightful place; Edd and Matt sat in the empty seat together while Tom just plopped down next to the trench coat kid. He just assumed that he had some drugs or alcohol on him, so he didn’t bother the kid. The group of friends had chatted during the whole ride, Edd and Matt giving fearful glances over to the kid behind Tom from time-to-time. Once they arrived at school, they got off the bus and went over to their lockers, which were, conveniently, right next to each other. They all also shared the same homeroom and technology class, Tom and Edd shared history, Edd and Matt shared English, and Matt and Tom shared algebra. Though they all had different clubs and foreign language classes.

“So, now that we’re not near that other kid,” Edd began to say. “How in the world were you able to stay so calm around him?!” The question was directed to Tom since he was the only one that didn’t seem to show fear towards the Trenchcoat kid. Yep, that was his name until Tom learned his actual one.

“You guys know that the only person I’m scared of is Eduardo, right?” Tom let out a small laugh as he closed his locker. “If anyone makes him piss his pants, then I’ll start fearing them. But until then, I got no one to worry about. You guys do know that the trenchcoat kid is right across the hall, right?” Tom pointed over to the same kid that was on the bus with them who was, in fact, right across the hall. The two flushed a bright pink as Tom just laughed at them. After getting to their homeroom, they saw the same kid. Maybe he was new or something?

“Hello, class. I hope you all had a nice fall break!” The teacher gave a kind smile to all the students, who everyone, except for the Trenchcoat kid, said hello back. “Today we have a new student joining us! Please come to the front of the class, Mr. Lardson.” Just as they finished, Trenchcoat kid stood up and made his way to the chalkboard. Everyone stared at him, especially Tom. He was finally able to see how the kid looked. He looked bored and tired, and he also had a red and a silvery grey eye. He was also kind of hot… shit.

“Everyone, please say hello to Tord.” Everyone said hello to the trenchcoat kid, now known as Tord before the teacher spoke again. “Tord, why don’t you say hello back to your classmates?” Tord gave a small glare towards the teacher before walking back to his seat. “O-Or not, that’s fine too.” The teacher seemed a bit frightened. Hopefully, this Tord kid didn’t pick a fight with Eduardo, he’d be squashed like a bug if he even tried. The day went by quickly. Turns out Tord had been in not only the trio’s homeroom class but also in Edd and Matt’s English class along with Matt and Tom’s algebra class, though he somehow managed to get through all of them without saying a single word. On a good note though, Eduardo hadn’t bothered them all day! Or, at least not until school was over. They were walking to the bus stops when the three devils themselves came out of nowhere.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Eduardo laughed as his minions stood behind him. “A couple of freaks decided to come back after fall break. What a stupid idea.”

“You know what? I'm tired right now and don't feel like dealing with your bullshit, ” Tom started rather proudly while Edd and Matt gave him a look of fearful confusion. Eduardo, Mark, and Jon didn't seem to be too happy about this either, pretty angry actually. “So you know what we're going to do?” Eduardo let out a small “What?” as an answer. “...We’re gonna run like hell.” Then, he bolted towards the buses. Edd and Matt jumped a bit at their friends’ actions but soon followed suit. Eduardo and his gang looked pissed as they tried to catch them but failed when the three had already gotten on the bus. Edd and Matt were most out of breath since Matt had to drag Edd into the bus due to him being the slowest. They all made their way to their seats and saw Tord in the same spot as this morning. Tom casually sat next to him while Edd and Matt were a bit hesitant to even be in the seat next to that man. Tord was looking out the window once again not wanting to be bothered, but Tom had other plans.

“Hey, it’s Tord right?” Tom asked, looking over at the man. Once he had said the man’s name he flinched. Tord looked over at Tom, causing the eyeless man to feel an odd sensation in his chest. “Um, t-talking to me?” He had a thick Norwegian accent and didn’t seem to know English too well. “I don’t believe there are any other Tord’s on this bus, rather any that go to this school.” Tom chuckled a bit before speaking again. “I’m Thomas Rodgewill, but everyone just calls me Tom.”

“Ah, T-Tord.” He gave a small smile and stuck out his hand, which Tom soon took. He didn’t seem anything like the scary dude that Edd and Matt were afraid of. He seemed scared if anything. “Um… f-friends?” Tord pointed at Edd and Matt who had been watching the whole introduction. “Oh, yeah those are friends-” Tom began to say their names but was interrupted.

“I’m Edd! Nice to meet you!” Edd stretched his hand across the aisle for Tord to shake, which he did after a second of hesitation. “I’m Matt!” Matt just gave a little wave, not wanting to reach over Edd and risk falling out of the seat. Tord returned the wave with another small smile.

“Nice t-to meet you, a-a… a-as well,” Tord stuttered. He seemed to be having a hard time speaking English. “Sorry if sound mean, not good with talking.” He apologized, missing a few words in his sentence but still getting his point across.

“It’s fine! Anyway, are you from Russia?” Edd questioned. “Ah, n-no. Norway! Been to Russia, too cold for liking.” Tord laughed a bit. He seemed like a very nice guy once you got to know him. They all talked about multiple things like the places they’ve been to and different foods they liked. Though Tord had stopped talking as the bus stopped at a small house with a bright red truck in the driveway. “Ah, dad is home…” Tord sighed as he looked at the truck. He didn’t seem too happy about his dad being home. “Em… S-See tomorrow?” He asked, looking back at his new friends.

“See ya!” “Later, Tord!” “See you at school!” They all said while Tom stood up and let Tord get out. He got off the bus and went over to his house, looking over to the window to see his friends waving at him. He then gave a kind smile before going up to his front door and going inside. The bus began to move again and it let off a couple more students before it got to the small cul de sac that Edd, Tom, and Matt lived in. They, and more unrelated students, got off the bus and went to their homes. When Tom opened the door to his house, he could already hear his mother cooking something in the kitchen.

“Hey, mum. I’m back from school!” Tom shouted to alert his mother of his presence. “Hello, Tom!” She shouted back in a sweet tone. She was probably making meatloaf. Dad loved her meatloaf. “How was school, dear?” His mother asked him. “Well, at first it was pretty boring, but then I became friends with the new kid!” Tom made his way over to the stairs, stopping to look over at his mother. “I also don’t have any homework today so I’m gonna go hang out with Edd and Matt if that’s alright.”

“Of course it’s alright, have fun dear.” His mother said before Tom raced upstairs and put away his bag. He put on a dark blue hoodie and went back downstairs, telling his mother goodbye before going over to the park. There, he saw Matt looking at himself in his mirror without his glasses on, most likely thinking he looked better without them. “Hey, Matt,” Tom said as he got closer, causing Matt to jump a bit and almost drop his mirror. He quickly shoved the reflective object into a bag and hurriedly pushed his glasses onto his face. “Oh, h-hello Tom!” Matt stuttered.

“You could always get contacts you know, you’re old enough to wear them,” Tom stated as he sat down next to his friend. Edd had already texted them in their group chat that he was probably going to be late. “Though you _just_ might not be smart enough to wear them-” He laughed as Matt let out an offended scoff. “How dare you! I am more than capable of wearing contacts, my mum just doesn’t think I should get them till I move out.” “That just proves my point even more; not even your mum thinks you’d remember to take them out.” “Oh, hush you!” The two had laughed a bit more before they both fell silent. “... so when do you plan on telling him?” Tom asked as he looked at the empty swings. The three used to come to this park when they were little, there also used to be some stray cats that he and Matt had to pull Edd away from. “I-I haven’t the slightest clue as to what you’re talking about,” Matt looked away to hide his flushed face. They both knew what Tom was talking about; it was too clear to not know. “Matt, you and I both don’t want me to say it out loud, so just answer the damn question,” Tom looked over at Matt, who slowly looked back with a worry written all over his features. “... I was hoping to do it right before the Winter Formal…” “Matt-” “I know what you’re going to say but I think it would be the perfect timing!” “Matt, that’s not-” “If he says no then I could easily just call in sick and not go to the dance, saving myself from being embarrassed-” “MATT!” Matt quickly shut his mouth, he still had the same worried look on his face from before. “I was going to say that it’s a great idea to tell Edd before the Winter Formal,” Tom gave his friend a reassuring smile, allowing Matt to let out a long sigh of relief. 

“Oh thank goodness. I thought you were going to say that it was a terrible idea!” Matt replied honestly. “And why would I say that?” Tom questioned, slightly offended by this. “Because you’re always so negative about everything,” Matt answered with a small laugh. “It is true that Tom’s usually negative about a lot of things-” Tom and Matt fell off the bench with a gasp as Edd laughed at them.

“E-Edd! When did you get here?!?” Tom gasped as he tried to calm himself. “I actually just got here,” Edd answered with a small giggle. “Anyways, what were you two talking about?” Matt blushed a bit while Tom kept his calm demeanor. “We were talking about how irresponsible Matt would be with contacts-” “TOM!!” Edd only laughed more at his friends, expecting no less from the two.

“So, what do you guys think about Tord?” Edd asked as they walked down the street. “I don’t know anymore. He seemed really scary at first, but when he finally talked he just seemed like a nice, shy kid,” Matt answered, watching his step in case there were any bumps in the sidewalk. “I’m sure he’s just shy cause he can’t speak English properly, maybe he’ll take a class where he could learn proper grammar,” Tom added. “Oh! That brings up another question I have; why did you talk to him on the bus?” Edd and Matt both looked over at Tom, who had become silent. “I-I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to talk to him-” Tom tried to say, but was interrupted as he heard a familiar accent, along with a few barks. “Bodil!! Kom tilbake!” The Norwegian accent shouted, causing the trio to turn around and look at a small German Shepard running towards them. The medium-sized dog pounced onto Tom, causing the small man to fall backward onto the ground. “Well, that’s one way to break your spine…” Tom grunted as he slowly sat up. The dog began to lick his face while Edd and might tried to get the dog off their friend, asking if he was okay. They all soon heard someone approach them, panting a bit as he tried to catch his breath.

“T-Tom, Edd, Matt!” Tord shouted in surprise. “S-Sorry, dog escape home while take out trash,” Tom soon got up after Tord had put a leash on the canine. “It’s alright, Tord,” Tom laughed a bit as he rubbed the back of his neck, hoping nothing got bruised. “I didn’t know you lived around here?” Edd started while Matt began petting the dog. “Ah, yes. Close but not too close,” Tord replied with a small smile. “What’s his name?” Matt asked, looking away from the dog. “Name Bodil. Mean Leader in Norway!” Tord answered proudly. “Aw! So he’s a little leader, how adorable-” Matt began to pet the dog more and soon Edd joined in on the petting. 

“I don’t think I would’ve taken you as a dog person,” Tom laughed a bit. “Let alone an animal person in general.” “Yes, dogs are form of protection in Norway; very loyal creatures,” Tord gave a closed-eye smile, not noticing the blood making its way into Tom’s cheeks. “H-Hey, do you have a phone?” Tom asked out of the blue. “Phone?... Ah, yes! Why?” “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to swap numbers?” “Um… s-sure!” Edd and Matt had also decided to give their number to Tord. Tord had said that he needed to be home for dinner and the other three had also agreed that they needed to be as well. They said goodbye before finally going home and eating dinner. All four of the boys went to bed, a bit happy to have all made a new friend.


	2. A New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was Tord feeling that fateful day when he made a new friend? What's life at home like?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!! This chapter includes child abuse or implied child abuse.

**BEEP**

**BEEP**

**BEEP**

**BE-**

Tord hit the STOP button on his phone’s alarm and got out of bed with a groan. “Første skoledag... Hurra… _ (First day of school… Hurray…) _ ” He grumbled as he lazily stumbled out of bed. Bodil was already next to his feet, trying to help the poor boy get ready for the day. He quickly slipped on his red tee-shirt and his black trench coat that he used to wear over in Norway. He shoved some notebooks and pencils in his bag along with an “English for Norskis” dictionary. Then went into the bathroom and washed himself up. He WAS going to get breakfast, but then he heard his father getting ready for work downstairs. He was scared of his father. After failing in his school in Norway, he had gotten punished. He was only trying to defend himself, but apparently breaking a kid’s nose when they tripped you in the hall isn’t self-defense. Now he’s starting over again at a new school in London, where no one speaks Norwegian. “Jeg burde bare ha ignorert drittsekk…  _ (I should’ve just ignored the asshole…) _ ” 

When he finally heard his father’s car leave the driveway, he went down the stairs, put some food in Bodil’s bowl, and went outside to the bus stop. It didn’t take long for the bus to come, and there also weren’t too many kids on so he was able to sit anywhere he pleased. But out of all the seats that weren’t taken by the six or seven kids on the bus, he chooses to sit in the very back where there were graffiti and loser signs. It was quiet in the back. No kids talking or moving around in the seats, just peaceful silence. He eventually pulled out his dictionary and began to pronounce some of the words he had trouble with. 

The bus had soon filled up so Tord had put away his dictionary and just looked out the window. It was a bit chilly out, the leaves had already turned an orange-brown color and some of the trees seemed to have already lost some of their leaves. He had thought about putting his backpack down instead of just keeping it on his lap, but froze when he felt the presence of another person next to him. He shot a small glare towards the entity, wondering why they choose not to sit in the seat across from him, only to see that the seat across from him was filled by two other kids. The three also seemed to be good friends, which most likely meant they were going to talk the rest of the way. Then, an idea came to Tord  _ “Don’t talk to anyone and just ignore them if they bother you.”  _ Yeah, that seemed like a pretty decent plan.

The three friends had talked NON-STOP all the way to school, making the trip feel longer than it actually was. At least no one seemed to notice him while he came. He found his locker and opened it, placing his backpack inside after taking out his books and pencils/pens. He took a look at his dictionary and wondered if he should bring it with him to class, but his internal debate was cut short as he overheard a conversation from across the hall.

“-able to stay so calm around him?!” Tord looked over at the three kids who were talking and saw that they were the same kids on the bus. Calm around who? “You guys know that the only person I’m scared of is Eduardo, right?” The shorter one laughed. That’s when he noticed that the kid didn’t have any eyes. How was that even possible? How could he see?? “If anyone makes him piss his pants, then I’ll start fearing them. But until then, I got no one to worry about…” The kid then moved his head just the slightest bit in his direction, it was so small that no one would have been able to even notice the movement. “You guys do know that the trenchcoat kid is right across the hall, right?” The two taller kids began to flush a bright pink, most likely embarrassed. But there was no one else across from them that was wearing a… “...Antar at jeg allerede har et kallenavn, og klassen har ikke en gang startet enda… _ (Guess I already have a nickname, and class hasn’t even started yet)  _ ” Tord sighed, before shoving the dictionary back into his locker and slamming the door shut. Today was going to be a long day…

Tord sat in the very back of his homeroom class, where all the quiet kids usually sat. Silence was all he hoped for today, peaceful, tedious silence. His eyes then glanced over to the other side of the room, where the same three kids sat. Why were they always near him? “Please come to the front of the class, Mr. Lardson,” The teacher spoke in a soft tone, though the demand still sent shivers down the Norski’s spine. Millions of thoughts raced through his head as he stood up and made his way to the front of the class.  _ Did he already mess up? What did he do? Was it rude to look at people? Maybe he seemed suspicious?... what would his father do? _ Tord turned around and faced the class with a tired and bored look.  _ Don’t talk to anyone and just ignore them if they bother you. _

“Everyone, please say hello to Tord.” Ah, so that’s why they called him up here. Everyone gave a lazy “Hello,” before the teacher spoke again. “Tord, why don’t you say hello back to your classmates?” They gave a kind smile to him, to which he simply gave them a glare in response.  _ Don’t talk to anyone. _ He went back over to his seat, only hearing the small mutters from the teacher. Homeroom had ended soon after and Tord had found out that he shared most of his classes with those same three kids. Well, except for his Robotics-12 class. They were all just introductions and talking about what supplies he would need, so it wasn’t too much. Yet the day felt like it went on forever.

He walked down the halls and through the back doors, hoping that no one would try to bother him before he got on the bus. He was just too tired to think about anything besides sitting down. He did notice three kids that looked pretty similar to the three that were in his homeroom, but they seemed darker and meaner.  _ Ignore them. _ He had finally gotten on the bus and looked out the window. After a few more kids had gotten on the bus, he saw the three kids that seemed to be following him talking to their darker doppelgangers. The shorter one had said something that made the dark green one mad, then he just bolted towards the bus. The other two soon followed after what looked like processing what their friend had just done. The three darker ones tried to catch them but were too late. Tord felt a little happy about that, though he didn’t know why. He felt the same presence as he did in the morning, knowing it was the short, eyeless man. There were still plenty of seats that they could sit in and Tord could start to complain about it, but he just didn’t feel like doing that at the moment.  _ Don’t talk. _ No one has talked to him all day, and maybe no one would force him to talk tomorrow. Maybe he could even take a nap while waiting for his-

“Hey, it’s Tord right?” Tord flinched at the sound of his name. Someone was talking to him. He looked over to where he heard the voice and found that it was the short man that sat next to him. Why was he talking to him? “Um, t-talking to me?” Well, that could’ve gone better. He probably sounded like a total dumbass! And why was he so afraid of such a small man? “I don’t believe there are any other Tord’s on this bus, rather any that go to this school.” The man had chuckled a bit, making Tord’s chest feel warm and fuzzy. It was weird. “I’m Thomas Rodgewill, but everyone just calls me Tom.” Tom. Such a simple name, yet Tord loved it. “Ah, T-Tord.” He held out his hand to ‘Tom’ with a small smile. His eyes then wandered over to the two who had been staring at them. “Um… f-friends?” He pointed at the ginger and brown-haired boy, who flinched a bit knowing that they got caught. “Oh, yeah those are my friends-” Tom had begun to explain but was interrupted by the brunette. 

“I’m Edd! Nice to meet you!” ‘Edd’ had stretched his hand across the aisle for him to shake, which he did after figuring out how to shake it without bending over Tom. “I’m Matt!” The ginger, now known as ‘Matt’ simply just gave a small wave, which Tord returned. “Nice t-to meet you, a-a… a-as well,” Jævla, English was hard… “Sorry if sound mean, not good with talking.” He had no idea if he did sound rude or not. This whole English thing was still new to him. “It’s fine! Anyway, are you from Russia?” Edd questioned. Russia, what a lovely place. “Ah, n-no. Norway! Been to Russia, too cold for liking.” Tord laughed a bit. They had continued to talk about random things like places they’ve been and the food they liked. This was… nice. He didn’t have any real friends in Norway, at least none that wanted to talk about stupid stuff like their favorite foods. Talking to people here was nice, maybe he should try and talk more tomorrow. 

The bus had stopped once again, but no one sounded like they were getting ready to leave. Tord looked out the window and realized why that was. It was his house. He didn’t want to go back home, and his father’s truck was there so… “Ah, dad is home…” He sighed. Maybe his father wouldn’t mind that he made a few friends? Oh, right. “Em… S-See tomorrow?” He asked, looking at his friends who he had forgotten were there.

“See ya!” “Later Tord!” “See you at school!” They all gave him a kind smile, which he returned. Tom got up and let him out, going back in while Tord made his way off the bus. The bus driver also seemed proud of him for making friends since they gave him a little wave and smile before he left. He stopped at his porch and looked over at the window to see his friends waving at him. A smile crawled its way into his face, happy to have made some friends.  _ Talk-Anyone-Ignore-Bother- _ He went up to his door, listening to the bus leave as he opened it. He slowly walked into the house and closed the door behind him with a small CLICK. He waited for a second to listen for his father, but all he could hear was his own breathing. Tip-toeing through the house, he waited a few seconds at the end of each room to see if anyone else was there. After slipping into his room he saw Bodil lying down on his bed.

**-Any English spoken is Norwegian-**

“I assume that he yelled at you again today?” Tord asked, voice close to a whisper as he went over to comfort his furry companion. The small German Shepherd whined in response, leaning into the touch of his owner's hand. “I see, and what was it this time? Were you laying on the floor, playing with your toys, or doing any other thing that dogs are supposed to do?” Normally, Tord wouldn’t say this out loud, knowing it would anger his father, but he knew that the strict man was asleep because of two reasons. 1; He didn’t get yelled at when he came home, and 2; He could hear said man snoring in his room. Bodil gave another whine and laid his head on Tord’s lap. 

“I… I know bud… but hey, I only have two more years of school before we can move out of this hellhole. Of course, you may not see me as much since I will be going to college, but at least you won’t get yelled at anymore!” The canine seemed to brighten up at this, jumping off the bed and barking a couple of times to show his excitement. Tord had laughed a bit at this, causing the dog to only bark more, but they both stopped as they heard a groan from his father’s room. “Ah, h-here. How about we go on a walk?” Bodil got into a playing position and wagged his tail, showing that he liked that idea. “Alright, let’s go then. Oh, b-but be quiet.” The two slowly crept down the halls and into the kitchen. Tord grabbed Bodil’s leash when he saw that the trash was full. “Oh, I should probably take out the trash, then we can go for a walk okay?” The fluffy canine whined but seemed to be fine with the trash being taken out.

**-Any English spoken is actual English-**

Tord shoved the leash into his coat pocket and tied up the trash. He picked up the smelly bag and opened the front door so he could take it out. He tried to close the door with his foot but found out that it didn’t completely close when his canine companion ran out the door. “B-Bodil!!” Tord dropped the trash on the ground and chased after Bodil, already thinking of all the terrible things that could happen to the pooch. At first, Tord assumed that the dog was just running aimlessly, but then he started taking turns in the direction of the park. “Bodil!! Kom tilbake! _ (Bodil!! Come back!) _ ” Tord had already taken out the leash when he saw his dog running in the direction of three people. The dog had pounced onto the shorter one and began to lick his face. The other two had tried to get him off of their friend and it wasn’t until he got closer he realized that it was none other than Tom, Edd, and Matt.

“T-Tom, Edd, Matt!” He shouted in surprise. What were they doing out by the park? “S-Sorry, dog escape home while take out trash,” Tord quickly put the leash on the canine. Maybe he could figure out how to speak English correctly when he got back home. “It’s alright, Tord.” Tom had laughed a bit as he got up, rubbing his neck while doing so. Hopefully, he didn’t get hurt. “I didn’t know you lived around here?” Edd stated while Matt began to pet Bodil, who seemed to enjoy the affection. “Ah, yes. Close but not too close,” Tord replied with a small smile. “What’s his name?” Matt asked with a smile. “Name Bodil. Mean leader in Norway!” He answered proudly. He had chosen the dog’s name when they got him and the little pup seemed like a leader to him. “Aw! So he’s a little leader, how adorable-” Matt began to pet the dog more and Edd soon joined in. Bodil was probably enjoying all this attention since he never got so much at home. 

“I don’t think I would’ve taken you as a dog person, let alone an animal person in general.” Tom laughed a bit. That laugh made Tord so happy, but why? “Yes, dogs are form of protection in Norway; very loyal creatures,” He gave a closed-eye smile to his friend, not noticing the boy turning a bright shade of pink. “H-Hey, do you have a phone?” Tom asked. “Phone..?” Tord seemed a bit confused by the question before he remembered his dictionary. “Ah, yes! Why?” “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to swap numbers?” Swap numbers..? He wanted… his phone number..? “Um… S-Sure!” Edd and Matt had also wanted his number. There was the possibility they would share his number through the whole school which would anger his father, but Tord didn’t think they would do that. They just didn’t seem like that kind of person… His father wouldn’t take that as an excuse. “Ah, n-need to head home. Dinner and chores.” Tord rubbed the back of his neck a bit. He wasn’t supposed to stay out this long. “Oh shit-” “Tom!” Edd scolded Tom for his language. “My mum made meatloaf half an hour ago! I gotta go, see you guys at school!” Tom then ran towards what Tord could assume was his home. Matt and Edd also said they should probably head home for dinner, so Tord was able to walk back home with Bodil without any more distractions. 

He quickly went inside after throwing the trash into its rightful bin and took the leash off of Bodil. That’s when he noticed the beer bottle that lied alone in the kitchen. A feeling of dread consumed him as he bent down to look at Bodil. “Stille… _ (Quiet…) _ ” He spoke barely above a whisper, not wanting his father to hear him. The two quietly walked through the kitchen and towards the hall but were stopped when his father spoke. “Og hvor i helvete var du?  _ (And where the hell were you?) _ ” The question came out as more of a demand, maybe even a threat. “Jeg-jeg tok Bodil ut på tur etter å ha tatt ut søpla.  _ (I-I took Bodil out for a walk after taking out the trash.) _ ” Tord stuttered but made sure he was still loud enough for his father to hear. His father hated it when he mumbled. “Åh, virkelig? Gjorde du ferdig leksene? Ryddet du rommet ditt?!  _ (Oh, really? Did you finish your homework? Did you clean your room?!) _ ” The tall man soon got up from the couch and walked over to Tord with one of his beer bottles. Tord slowly backed up into the wall, his face contorted into a look of fear as his father drew closer. “T-Det var ingen lekser i dag! Og jeg skulle rydde opp i rommet mitt rett etter at jeg tok Bodil en tur! _ (T-There was no homework today! And I was going to clean up my room right after I took Bodil for a walk!) _ ” Fear dripped from his voice as rain would fall from the sky. “Du bør bekymre deg mer for husarbeidene dine enn for den dumme mutt-  _ (You should worry about your chores more rather than that stupid mutt-) _ ” Where was the dustpan again?


End file.
